Light, give me strength.
The countless horrors of undeath plague my homeland, but across the great seas lies a new threat to mankind, one that can be eradicated before it is given time to fester and take hold.
Although I have dedicated my life to serving Lordaeron, it is time I leave the refuse of my kingdom behind and make this journey. In the name of all that is holy, I pray I am not too late.
My superiors have requested that I meet brother Anton in the town of Southshore. From there, we will begin our voyage to the forgotten lands of Kalimdor.
….
From each corner of my eye, I see only the rippling of waves and the sun glowing across the horizon.
The days at sea I have lost count, and I think only of the comrades I left behind. For the years I have spent inside the monastery, they pale in comparison to the lagging passage of time upon this vessel. It is a kind of solitude not unlike those behind stone walls, but a loneliness that can only come from being stranded in the middle of the unknown.
Brother Anton reminds me to keep my prayers and my faith. Although my body has not failed me, my mind would not weather this ordeal if not for his presence.
….
At last, a silhouette of land appears in the distance. Feelings of restlessness gripped me as I stood upon the mast, unsure of what fate has in store for us. It will be soon now before we step upon that strange earth, perhaps more unknown to us than the leagues of water we have called home for some months now.
….
For the first time since I have left Lordaeron, I now feel the bitter sting of longing for my home. I am a stranger in a strange land, with only brother Anton to speak freely to. I am unsure of where he will lead me, but we continue our journey west through the arid plains of Kalimdor.
I pray the Light watches over us.
….
Vicious half-men attacked us in our sleep. The galloping of their hooves startled us. In my surprise, I stood dumbfounded before a creature with the appearance of a man and the bottom portions of a horse. Only the whooshing of arrows flying past my shoulder reminded me to brandish my sword and defend myself. Brother Anton was wounded from one of their barbed spears, but by the powers of the Holy Light he is restored.
I shudder to think of what other cruel beasts roam these lands.
….
Finally, we have crossed the barren wastes and have reached the mountain pass that remains the last barrier before our destination.
Unlike the dried, scorched earth we had left behind us, this country reminds me of my home from long ago. The pine trees and mountain air bring relief having spent many days under a beating sun. Brother Anton is sure that we are close, and I have gained a new sense of vigor that has allowed me to push onward.
Although our mission has yet to be fulfilled, I am certain we will succeed.
….
All I can see is ash.
My boots were blackened by soot and charcoal as we entered a vale reduced to nothing. There was no life, no sounds. My breathing was hindered by the thick smog that obscured our view. I though to myself, no living thing could have caused such carnage. Brother Anton and I were silent as we passed through, perhaps afraid to awaken what had caused such immense destruction.
….
What stood before us now was a land so foul, so corrupted, that I fell to my knees in despair. A twisted, blackened, deranged waste where the skies furled and thundered with an otherworldly wrath. A place of nightmares that one could not comprehend if he had not seen it for himself, full of dark whispers that penetrate deep within you…
Brother Anton seemed unphased. Instead, he remained as determined as ever in our journey. A devout, unwavering man of faith to which I could only aspire to be.
He pointed in the direction of our new home, and I followed.
….
I have only met a high elf once, and as a child. From memory, I recall little difference in their appearance compared to men. But these night elves are creatures very much unlike us. They stand looming over brother Anton and I, with deep lavender skin and hair that flows over their shoulders. I could have sworn I even saw one with a pair of fangs protruding from their mandible. Surely, these creatures are as beastly as the other races populating Kalimdor.
….
It is time, finally.
Brother Anton and I will begin our sacred mission, the mission we have sought since the beginning of our voyage. The undead taint of these lands is real, as we had suspected. The night elves have confirmed as such and have instructed us in their location. I pray for the strength and courage to confront whatever dark master is behind this necromancy. We will put an end to him and his evil once and for all.
….
Cursed beasts!
For each one I slay, a dozen spawn in their wake. These foul creatures are behind the evil summoning of spirits and undead in this land and are in no doubt behind its corruption! Brother Anton tends to disagree, despite witnessing them perform the dark rituals themselves. It does not matter what he chooses to believe, only that I act to stop them. For all those they would do harm… For Lordaeron…
….
The voices do not stop.
They claw at my head like vultures. They do not let up. Brother Anton’s prayers do little defense against them. It is deafening.
….
Today we ventured forth to a ruins in search of the source of corruption in this land… Little did we expect what we were about to see.
As we transverse across the land it became apparent a once mighty civilization stood here, now buried beneath the black sands of a desolate, forlorn waste. Ruins were all that were left, crumbling edifices that were now home to cultists and demon-worshippers. Brother Anton was sure that what had corrupted this land made its home in one of the many forgotten tombs dotting the landscape. We searched them all, slaying the demons that lurked in its shadows and sparing no cultist their lives. A sweet relish overcame me as I put to the sword these foul miscreants…. Brother Anton has cautioned me to not indulge, but his words are numb.
….
He ignores me.
But I did not come this far to leave work undone.
His pleas are worthless.
….
The whispers are no longer whispers. They are screams.
….
I have found it. Hidden in the belongings of a dead cultist. A manuscript. Runes inscribed upon its surface. Power seethes from it. Brother Anton thinks we should destroy it. But this is the key to our salvation. With it, we will cure these lands.
….
But he has taken it, warning me.
Who does he think he is?
The night elves know where it comes from. They know where the others lie.
I will find them, with or without brother Anton.
….
It was not I who abandoned our sacred crusade… It was you, you who I called brother. But you are no brother of mine… They warned me of you, and they were right. Now they will lead me to the place to where I can fulfill the oath I gave, to put an end to this festering disease before it consumes this kingdom too.
….
Shadows… Dark shadows… all I see is shadows… A dead forest with shadows of dead creatures… Torn spirits… A vision… A tomb beneath the dead forest… There…
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Brother, where are you?... I am lost, so lost…
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Cultists, more cultists… This land is full of cultists… Slaves to demons, traitors to their own race… Even my own I have found serving them. Pathetic… Their souls are damned, their bodies empty husks… I will relieve their husks of their corrupt spirits.
….
The tomb is here, a dark tunnel leading me underground… The voices grow louder as I descend… Abandon hope… Enter the blind world… Forget them…
The torch I carry flickers and the flame dies… I walk into the darkness.
….
Behold, the corruptor. The shadow. It is him. His face is more cruel and wicked than I could imagine. His wings fold over him, a dark embrace… He watches but says nothing…. The whispers are screaming… Go… Go… Become one with the shadow… Accept your fate…
….
It feeds… it grows… with a hunger to devour the world. The tide of darkness seems endless… With the shadow, I will halt its advance…
For Lordaeron…